Top Ten Favorite Scary Movies

Growing up I have always enjoyed the supernatural and the scary is some form. I read all the Goosebumps books I could get my hands on and loved anything by Betty Ren Wright. As I got a little older, I moved on to the more graphic Fear Street books and Christopher Pike novels. I did what I could with books in my tween years, because my parents were good parents and wouldn’t let me watch any scary movies that were above my pay grade. That doesn’t mean I didn’t sneak off to enjoy a few under the radar. But as much as I loved to watch movies like High Spirits, I was running out of choices.

I would watch edited horror movies on television until my parents finally decided to begin to let me watch R-rated movies when I was 15. In the beginning they watched them all with me and sent my ass out if they thought it was too much. Gradually I started getting access to more and more. When my parents realized that I was extremely cognizant of reality vs. story, they let me run free. My mom was pretty satisfied with my answer when she walked into the living room one day during a pretty gory scene, and I was eating spaghetti with tomato sauce. She asked how I could watch that and eat. I pointed at the screen and told her that was corn syrup and pointed to my bowl and stated that it was tomato sauce. I still don’t think she was fully comfortable with the thought until we both happened upon a reality show surgery, and I got grossed and left the room. I had a very clear grasp on what was real and what wasn’t.

Let me introduce you to my Top Ten Favorite Scary and Horror Movies.

Evil Dead 1981

1. Evil Dead Trilogy

So yes, it isn’t one, but can you really have one without the other two? Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness were waiting for me before I even knew it existed. I have to thank my brother for introducing me to them, but I had unknowingly been preparing myself as I grew up watching Hercules and Xena. Sam Raimi hooked himself a fan for life after watching these three films, and well Bruce “Don’t Call Me Ash” Campbell got himself another adoring follower. Now, if we can only get Mr. Campbell to do a cameo on Supernatural, now that his show is over, life would be complete.

House 1986

2. House

Yes, another scary movie with humor in it. I tend to love these. Funny story about this movie. I remember watching this movie on television with my brother when I was little, and the scene where he tries to flush the monster hand down the toilet scared the mess out of me. I had serious issues with using our toilet for years, because I kept thinking that hand was going to come out and grab me. I have since come to terms with that and can use a toilet without fear. This is one of my favorites, because while it is funny, it is a great story.

Suspiria 1977

3. Suspiria

Honestly, this movie isn’t terribly scary, but it is gorgeous. The set design and art design add another level to this late seventies movie that sets it apart from the rest of the horror films coming out at the time. It actually might be boring to those but the strictest of horror movie buffs. I still think it is worth a peek.

Pet Sematary 1989

4. Pet Sematary

There are two things that easily turn on the creeps for me and that is dolls and small children. This adaption of Steven King’s novel has one of the creepiest children I have ever come across. While I hate it, I can’t stop watching. Small child, plus scapel, plus tophat? I have never been more terrified in my life.

1408 2007

5. 1408

I have always felt that John Cusack never got married, because he has been waiting for me to first grow up enough where it wasn’t creepy and then finally meet me. While this is highly delusional, a girl can dream. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put this man in a not only a horror movie, but a Steven King story, they need a monetary reward and a week’s vacation to somewhere tropical and not war threatened. This is a great movie.

American Werewolf in London 1981

6. An American Werewolf In London

This movie was just a stroke of genius. The practical effects were amazing for the time and the humor was sprinkled perfectly throughout the film. It saddens me that they tried to make a sequel of this gem, but I’m willing to ignore it.

The Possession 2012

7. The Possession

Yes it is another demon possession movie, but why did I like it so much to add it to the list? It deals with the Jewish faith and superstitions. The majority of the other demon or devil possession movies utilize Christianity to save the day. While completely acceptable, this movie changed it up and looked at a different faith making it strong enough to stand out. I think this movie was as good as The Conjuring.

Silent Hill

8. Silent Hill

Just reading this title, would probably make horror buffs scream in outrage! I really like this one and here is why. I am a leisure gamer. If I had more time and money I would probably never leave my house. Resident Evil came out and was fun not super awesome, but okay. It took the sequel to make something out of it. Silent Hill was not only a better adaption of the game, but honestly had a better story. There were little touches in this film as well. They treated the story progression as if you were in the game, and how the main character looked for objects and clues to get them from point A to point B was standard game play. I don’t think there is a woman alive who didn’t cringe internally when Christabella bit it in the end.

Insidious 2010

9. Insidious

I know there is a large amount of people that hate this movie, but I loved it. I was sold at the opening credits with the homages to Alfred Hitchcock. This was very story driven, which makes for the best horror movies. If you forget about meeting blood and boob quotas and make a good story, people will watch and mostly likely buy your movies. It is a crazy thought. I loved the parallel between the father and the son, and how everyone in the house was affected. I even enjoyed the twist of the house not being haunted, but the kid because of what he can do. The sequel was even great, especially how it takes off right where this one left off. That’s fantastic!

Drag Me to Hell 2009

10. Drag Me to Hell

My love of Raimi could not allow me to finish this list without this movie. I was so excited when it came out. Raimi hadn’t done a horror movie since Army of Darkness. It was everything that I imagined to be. It funny, disgusting at times, and fascinating. This was a damn near perfect movie. The only reason it didn’t reach perfection was there was no Bruce Campbell cameo. I mean the man made a cameo in Spider-Man 3, but we couldn’t get him to sign on to this. Well maybe he was angry with the cameo in Spider-Man 3, and this was Raimi’s punishment. I could probably get behind that.

There you have it. While the movies may not be considered the traditional classics, they are my favs and how I was really introduced to the horror genre. I love a lot scary movies, and it was hard enough to pick and categorize as it was. Let me know some of your favorites?